Master of Science in Epidemiology: Faculty Research
Lucile Adams-Campbell, Ph.D.
Dr. Adams-Campbell’s research focus is on addressing minority health and cancer health disparities among the underserved African American populations in the District of Columbia. She conducts lifestyle interventions related to breast cancer and metabolic syndrome and conducts large epidemiological cohort studies including The Black Women’s Health Study. As the Associate Director of The Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities Research, her mission is to facilitate, stimulate, and promote synergy in addressing the social deterrents of health in conjunction with biological basis of cancer health disparities via research, training, communication, and education.
Jan Blancato, Ph.D.
Dr. Blancato is currently working on the following research projects:
- miRs in inflammatory breast cancers and other high risk breast cancers
- Immunophenotyping in inflammatory breast cancers
Chiranjeev Dash, MBBS, Ph.D. MPH
Dr. Dash is the Assistant Director of Health Disparities Research and an Associate Professor of Oncology in the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research. He is also a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics & Biomathematics. Dr. Dash’s expertise is in the design, implementation, and analysis of epidemiologic studies; and his research primarily focuses on molecular epidemiology and cancer prevention and control in minorities and underserved populations. Dr. Dash is also part of transdisciplinary teams conducting research on physical activity interventions in high-risk health disparity populations, oral health disparities, and impact of environmental health disparities on cancer risk in the Washington DC. area. In his role as the Assistant Director of Health Disparities, he collaborates with Dr. Adams-Campbell, Associate Director of Health Disparities Research, in directing community outreach and engagement efforts in Lombardi’s catchment area. In this role, he supervises and collaborates with community outreach staff to recruit participants, especially those from underserved minorities, for epidemiologic and interventional research in cancer prevention and control.
Christopher A. Loffredo, Ph.D.
Dr. Loffredo is a practicing epidemiologist with broad training and experience that includes toxicology (molecular epidemiology) and the roles of genetic and environmental risk factors in human cancers and birth defects. He also has expertise and knowledge of implementation and evaluation of NIH-funded case-control, cohort, and community intervention studies of human cancers, particularly lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and bladder cancer; these studies have focused on genetic factors and carcinogens including infections, tobacco smoking, environmental exposures, and their biological markers.
Darren Mays, Ph.D., MPH
Dr. Mays’ research focuses on behavioral cancer prevention among adolescents and young adults, with specific interests in tobacco use and skin cancer risk behaviors. His research develops interventions (e.g., public health communications, behavioral intervention programs, policy/regulation) to reduce risk behaviors and promote healthy, cancer-preventive behaviors at the population level. Dr. Mays’ research is also designed to inform cancer and tobacco control policy. His research on tobacco use has a strong focus on regulatory science, conducting studies designed to guide federal regulation of tobacco products with specific interests in public education about potential risks of tobacco use and product packaging and warning labels. Dr. Mays also conducts biobehavioral investigations of how behavioral risk factors for cancer unfold from adolescence into young adulthood, including examining factors that influence tobacco use and skin cancer risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults, such as exposure to advertising/marketing and other psychosocial risks. Ongoing projects that provide opportunities for student involvement are investigating the impact of messaging strategies to communicate the risks of tobacco use to consumers through warning labels on product packaging and advertising, and other delivery media such as mobile text messaging. These projects are investigating the impact of novel messaging strategies for cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, waterpipe tobacco (i.e., hookah), and other tobacco products. Ongoing and recently completed studies are also examining biobehavioral aspects of melanoma risk and prevention, including studying indoor tanning as an addictive behavior and the genetic, psychological, and behavioral factors that contribute to indoor tanning behavior and tanning addiction.
Kenneth Tercyak, Ph.D.
Dr. Tercyak’s research focuses on biobehavioral aspects of cancer risk, prevention, and intervention including public health genomics, tobacco prevention and control, and survivorship. His work in familial cancer examines health communication, decision making and decision support, and outcomes of genetic counseling and genomic testing. Dr. Tercyak’s work in tobacco control focuses on primary prevention, behavior change, high-risk special populations, and cessation. His work in survivorship addresses modifiable cancer risks and outcomes among children treated for cancer.
Michael A. Stoto, Ph.D.
Dr. Stoto’s current research projects are focused on working with health departments and hospitals both locally and nationally on Community Health Needs Assessments and measurement and evaluation of their associated implementation strategies.